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Heat.

Harry punched his pillow and flopped onto his other side; he was about ready to kill something, or someone.

Everyone else in the dorm was sleeping peacefully, but thanks to the unfortunate pairing of Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan in potions class that morning Harry had about as much chance of sleeping as Hagrid walking into a pub and ordering an orange juice.

Neville as always was shaking as he attempted to make the assigned potion, and Seamus was pissing about with his wand trying to change the colour of the potion so they could pass. Harry snorted, as if that would have worked.

Unfortunately, the combination of spell and potion caused an explosion, which shook the castle. No one had been physically harmed, the interesting (translation: fucking annoying) result was the heat. For some reason known to none, Harry and all those of a specific blood group started to feel hot, like the hottest of summer days and walking around in a thick jumper. According to what he heard in the hospital wing, (it wasn't eaves dropping if they didn't want to be heard they should have put up a silencing charm) there were only 2 people in the school with Harry's blood group, well three, but Poppy had been in St Mungos so hadn't been effected.

Harry looked at his clock it was gone 2 AM, groaning he got up, because there was no way he was going to sleep now. So dressed in the silk boxers Hermione had gotten him for his 17th birthday, he covered himself in his invisibility cloak, armed himself with his wand and stalked out of the dorm room.

He made his way outside, intent to take a swim in the lake.

Harry was eternally grateful that he didn't get caught on his way outside; he didn't think he could bare the humiliation of having to explain why he needed to go swimming at 2 in the morning in November.

Last year Harry had discovered if you went under the bridge and climbed over the rocks and down the other side you'd find yourself on a small piece of beach, better yet a piece of beach that no one could see, and, Harry assumed, that no one knew about considering he'd never seen anyone here.

His beach was the perfect refuge from everything and tonight he could swim there without worrying.

Jumping down onto the sand Harry allowed himself to relax. Shrugging off his cloak, he draped it over a rock and turned to head into the water, but stopping dead when he saw someone already in the water. Whoever it was had their back to Harry and had dark hair; they were submerged up to the neck, with their head tilted back, allowing the dark hair to splay out into the water. Suddenly the dark haired goddess slid out of the water, hair clinging to broad but slim shoulders and a lean back, almost as if it had missed the contact when it had been away, as more of the goddess appeared Harry found himself growing harder, but it wasn't until the goddess turned slightly that he realised he would have to amend to calling him a god or Adonis.

The Adonis turned more allowing Harry to see his profile. Harry spun around to face the rocks again, wondering if he could make it before...

"Mr Potter," Severus Snape called from the water.

Harry cursed and willed away his erection in the tried and true way of imagining Flitch snogging Hagrid. Slowly he turned around, and had to employ said method again. Snape was walking out of the water towards him, water was trickling over his well formed chest and down his abdomen, getting caught in the sprinkling of hair, the treasure trail that disappeared into the black shorts he was wearing.

"What in the world are you doing here Potter?" Snape asked crossly, sitting on one of the rocks.

"I often come to the cove to get away and think, sir. And I wanted to swim tonight," Harry shuffled from foot to foot, obviously embarrassed.

"The bloody heat, of course. I thought Poppy had given you something for that, I know she requested dreamless sleep. Do sit down your wobbling is making me seasick."

Harry smiled slightly, "She did cast a cooling charm but it didn't work. And I couldn't take the potion," Harry explained.

"No sir," Harry denied, "It's just, well you see," Harry sighed in resignation, "You can only take Dreamless Sleep a maximum of three times a week, Madam Pomfrey gives me one dose a week, and I make it myself, to take it twice a week. I've already taken it three times this week." Harry waited for the lecture he was sure to get.

Snape was studying the boy, who was doing his best not to look at him. "At last a modicum of intelligence. If you told that hospital harpy, she'd probably strap you to a bed until graduation."

Harry couldn't help the laugh, "She has a bed just for me, that's just scary."

"Tell me about it, I'm not even her student anymore, I still have a bed of my own too," Snape commiserated.

"Last bed away from the door on the left," Harry told him.

"Last bed away from the door on the right," Snape countered, "It seems we are here for the same purpose and the same reason, therefore, I will make you a onetime only offer Mr Potter. Just for tonight. I have never met you, and have no idea who you are, other than a fellow swimmer. Is that acceptable?" Snape asked, not fully knowing why he was making such an offer.

In lieu of an answer Harry held out his hand, "Hi, I'm Harry, nice to meet you."

When their hands touched, they both felt a cooling effect and with the utmost reluctantly they pulled their hands apart.

"So, Harry, do you come here often?"

Harry burst into laughter, "You realise that's a pick up line don't you?"

Snape attempted to look innocent, "Is that right?"

"Yeah, one that came out with the wheel." Harry told him with a sage nod.

"It's not the worst one I've heard," Snape told him. "This one is far worse: 'Your daddy must have been a thief because he stole the stars from the sky to put them in your eyes'."

Harry laughed again, "Your right, that's worse. How about, 'aren't you tired? Because you've been running around my mind all day," That made Snape laugh.

"I'm going into the water, Sev, I can't stand this heat anymore," Harry stood and started towards the water, then looked over his shoulder, "You coming?"

"Sure, by the way, nice pants Harry." Snape smirked at Harry's blush.

Harry looked down, the pants he had on were dark green with a black and red snake coiled all over them, with a space over his crotch where there was red writing, 'you think I'm a big snake, you should see the one I'm hiding.'

"Considering how hot I'm feeling, be thankful I put any on," Harry told him seriously.

"Tell me about it," Snape agreed. They waded into the water, sighing in relief.

"This feels good." Harry moaned in contentment.

"It doesn't last unfortunately," Snape punched the water in frustration, "Nothing I've tried works, we might just have to wait it out."

"Sev?" Harry called.

Snape looked up. "Yes, Harry," Only to get a face full of water.

Harry took off laughing, diving into the water to get away from the older man who was now dripping wet and grinning in a way that would make any smart man want to hide, "You're gonna die now Potter!" Snape dived after the laughing messy haired youth.

"Oh, believe me, Harry be thankful it's Sev chasing you," that said Snape closed an arm around Harry's shoulders pulling him back against his chest, "Snape would have just hexed you."

Harry opened his mouth to say something back, when he felt all the heat drain from his body, and he, and Snape, started to shiver. Snape dropped his arm in shock.

"What the bloody fuck was that?" Snape said staring at Harry as if it was his fault.

"You used a naughty word," Harry told him pointing a finger in accusation.

The pure lunacy of that statement made Snape laugh outright, Harry smiled at having caused such a response, "I do swear sometimes, just not in front of students."

"You're a teacher then; I've accepted a teaching post starting in June." Harry told him, enjoying the pretence of not knowing each other.

"June? But the school year starts in September."

"Yes, I have to get my classes ready, and settle into my new quarters," Harry told him dipping back under the water. "Do you think that cooling thing was important, or was it a coincidence that happened the same time as the contact?" Harry asked with his usual Gryffindor lack of tact.

"I don't know. Perhaps we should attempt an experiment," Snape held out his hand, pleased when Harry took it without hesitation. Snape pulled Harry flush into his embrace. The heat they both felt disappeared instantly. Snape let go.

"Not a coincidence then," Harry said breathlessly.

"Decidedly not, I think I may have a solution to our inability to sleep."

"Is this where one of us use's the chat up line, 'You're place or mine'?" Harry asked, a smile playing on his lips.

"My place, defiantly," Snape declared, all but dragging Harry from the water.

"I don't have any clothes with me," Harry protested weakly.

"You can transfigure some of mine for tomorrow when you get your things for tomorrow night," Snape bargained.

"Tomorrow?" Harry asked, barely able to believe what was happening.

"You said you needed to settle into quarters, why not start early?" Harry loved it when Snape was all logical.

"Such a romantic, you haven't even kissed me yet and you're asking me to move in with you," Harry mock pouted. They arrived at the rocks and Harry grabbed his robe and wand, ready to clamber back over.

Snape pushed him back against a flat rock, a hand on either side of his head, "Right now, we need to have as much skin contact as possible," Harry groaned at the thought of full skin to skin contact with Sev, "however, you are still a student, so until you are my colleague, skin contact is all we will be having."

This time Harry didn't need to pretend, he really pouted, "You won't even kiss me?"

Harry nodded his compliance, "It's only a month away, I'm sure we can live that long."

"Good, glad that's settled. Now move, I want you in my bed, now," They clambered over the rocks grinning at each other, and raced back to the castle. Harry quickly donned his cloak and followed Severus down to the dungeons, and to the man's private rooms.

"Nice place," Harry commented.

"Thank you, we can add extra rooms or space as we need it," Snape said, unaccountably nervous now that he had the sexy young Gryffindor in his rooms.

"Does it have a big bed?" Harry asked with a seductive flutter of his eyes. Snape nodded, "Great, lead the way then."

The remaining clothes were discarded on the way to the big comfortable bed and they soon snuggled together, basking in the normality of their body temperature, finally falling into a restful sleep.

The potions mishap wore off after a few days, but the new sleeping arrangement stayed as they were, with the blessing of the headmaster and all of their friends. There were many times in the future where the heat in the bed could have lead to spontaneous combustion, but for an entirely different reason.

I already know that even though this is a finished story your going to want another chapter, i will think about it, but i have a lot on at the moment so it may be a while, but never say never.

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